The first official movie trailer for the Michael Jackson concert film This Is It, which is due to hit theaters in late October, was premiered at the close of the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards … but just in case you missed it’s debut, you can check it out in full right here on the blog. Here are a few screencaps from the just released movie trailer:

This video clip gives us the longest look at what’s in store in this film. There seems to be equal emphasis on the creation process that went into making the This Is It show as well as the actual rehearsals for the show itself. I must admit, the more footage I see the more regretful I become that we were not able to see this show live on stage. As you may recall, David and I had tickets to see MJ in concert at the O2 Arena on September 18 … if things had turned out differently, we’d most likely be in London already gearing up to see the show this coming Friday night. After the jump, check out the full movie trailer for Michael Jackson‘s This Is It Movie …

In theaters next month, for a limited 2-week only engagement, Michael Jackson‘s This Is It Movie promises to give fans a look at the late King of Pop as “you’ve never seen him before”. As many of you are well aware, This Is It is a movie pieced together from the hours and hours of rehearsal footage that was filmed during rehearsals for MJ‘s planned This Is It Tour that was scheduled to be performed over 50 nights at the O2 Arena in London, England beginning this past July. Here is our first look at the movie poster just released for the film:

Altho we weren’t able to see MJ‘s vision for the This Is It Tour, the film version of his rehearsal footage will give us a taste of what he had planned for his big comeback. It is still very strange to think that MJ has passed away. Even after he was finally laid to rest last week (70 days after he died in June), it still seems a bit surreal that he is no longer with us. I think seeing this concert film will give fans closure as well as entertainment. You can register for updates on the movie’s official website HERE to be alerted to when tickets for this film go on sale (in most cities where the film will be shown, tickets go on sale on September 27). The movie opens on October 28.

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Those of you planning to head out to theaters this November to see the film This Is It that sold for $60 million to Sony Pictures last month and is made up of concert rehearsal footage of the late Michael Jackson prepping for his This Is It Tour had better make your plans now because Sony has announced that the film will run in theaters for a limited 2-week run only!

The film about Michael Jackson’s final three months, which uses video of rehearsals for his concert comeback, will run in theaters worldwide for two weeks only beginning October 28, according to Sony Pictures. Tickets for “Michael Jackson: This Is it” go on sale Sunday, September 27, Sony said in a news release Thursday. “Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, and genius as he creates and perfects his final show,” Sony said. Kenny Ortega, who was working with Jackson to create the “This Is It” concert, is also directing the documentary. “As we began assembling the footage for the motion picture, we realized we captured something extraordinary, unique and very special,” Ortega said. “It’s a very private, exclusive look into a creative genius’ world.” Ortega said “This Is It” “may go down as the greatest concert that no one got a chance to see,” since the pop singer died three weeks before it was to debut in the O2 Arena in London, England. “But with this film, we get a rare portrait of Michael as he prepares for his final curtain call and what I believe was going to be his master work.” Sony began editing the film last week after concert promoter AEG Live handed over about 100 hours of video it shot during April, May and June 2009. The initial release date was set for October 30, but Sony said it decided the “special, limited, two-week engagement worldwide” would be moved up two days. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved the deal last week to allow the special administrators of Jackson’s estate to sign a contract with Sony and AEG Live to allow the production. The judge has yet to decide on a deal that would allow AEG Live to conduct a three-city tour of a Michael Jackson memorabilia exhibition to coincide with the film’s release.

HMMM. Color me suspicious but methinks this limited “2-week engagement” is just a ploy to promote the film. I find it very hard to believe that Sony Pictures would want to limit how much money they could make from a film like this. By telling fans you have a limited time to see the film, perhaps they are banking on 2 weeks of sold out showings rather than, say, 4 to 6 weeks of sparsely attended showings. I’d bet good money that if the film does very well in the “2-week limited run” they’ll extend the run for longer … and can still have a DVD/CD combo ready for sale by Xmas.

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Back in July we learned that Sony Pictures decided to shell out $60 million to purchase the hours of rehearsal footage from Michael Jackson‘s This Is It Tour rehearsals with plans to produce a movie that would be shown in theaters. Just yesterday, a California judge OKed the deal and ruled that the studio can move forward with production of the film and within moments of that ruling, Sony Pictures released a press release officially announcing the film’s release date and deets about the film itself … and it sounds like a grand extravaganza. Here are excerpts from that press release:

MICHAEL JACKSON’S “THIS IS IT” TO BE PRESENTED IN THEATERS AROUND THE WORLD BY SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT AND SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Film Drawn From Legendary Entertainer’s Last Rehearsals and Behind-The-Scenes Footage Will Be Released October 30th in High Definition with Digital Sound

CULVER CITY, Calif., August 10, 2009 – Beginning October 30th, the world will have a front-row seat for Michael Jackson’s final concert, as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment release Michael Jackson’s This Is It.

This Is It is being produced with the full support of The Estate of Michael Jackson and will be drawn from hundreds of hours of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage, captured in high definition with state-of-the-art digital sound as the late singer was preparing for his concert series in London. The film, which will also offer select sequences in 3-D, will provide a unique career retrospective and feature interviews with some of Jackson’s closest friends and creative collaborators.

The rights to the exclusive footage were acquired from AEG Live and The Estate of Michael Jackson. Sony Pictures and Sony Music will co-produce with AEG Live and the Estate, and Sony Pictures will distribute the film worldwide. Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware of AEG Live will serve as producers of the film.

The majority of the film’s footage was shot in June, 2009 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California, and The Forum in Inglewood, California, as Jackson prepared for “This Is It,” the series of fifty concerts Jackson planned to present at the O2 Arena in London.

This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer, his career, and the stage spectacular that would have been. The film will provide moviegoers with an unforgettable front row experience compiled from extensive footage that shows Jackson’s meticulous preparation for his 2009 London shows.

Said Branca, “Our goal is to work with partners who treat Michael’s legacy with dignity and respect, while allowing us to substantially build the value of his estate for the benefit of Mrs. Katherine Jackson, Michael’s three children and the charitable causes that meant so much to him during his life. We are confident we found the right partners for this project in Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment. Sony and Michael enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial history together, and it’s only fitting that the relationship continues.”

Said McClain, “This film is not only a tribute to an artist who created excitement every moment he was on stage, but also is a fitting gift to the millions of fans worldwide who loved him and who he devoted his professional life to entertaining. John and I are thrilled to be working with Sony to build on Michael’s musical legacy in a way that will generate significant proceeds for his family and for children in need.”

“People who have seen this footage are astounded by the amazing quality of Michael Jackson’s performance,” said Lynton. “This historic recording of the last time he sang and danced on stage shows the legendary artist in an incredibly powerful way, with crystal clear images and sound. We understand the importance of producing a film that pays tribute to Michael as an artist, and are honored to work with the Estate of Michael Jackson to give audiences the gift of his final performances. I know this film will serve as further proof that Michael Jackson is one of the greatest entertainers who ever graced a stage.”

“Michael lives on through his songs, his creative genius, his body of work and his passion for his art,” said Rob Stringer. “He was a perfectionist on stage and through this unique film, audiences will be able to see, many for the first time, how much Michael poured into making his performances as special as they were perfect.”

Said Kenny Ortega, director of and Jackson’s creative partner on the This Is It concert, “The world will see what our team was so fortunate to experience, which was the full commitment, passion and creativity that Michael put into this project. He was the architect of This Is It, and we were his builders. The footage that was captured from the early stages of the production to our technical rehearsals at the STAPLES Center in L.A. will show Michael as he truly was, creatively involved with every aspect of the production, from the staging and choreography, to the music, lighting, production design and conception of the original short films and video backdrops. It will also show Michael as one of the greatest entertainers in the world and one of the industry’s most creative minds. This Is It was Michael’s last theatrical work and although it was still a work in progress, I think the footage will show that the process was something that Michael deeply enjoyed and that it was clear that he was on his way to another theatrical triumph.”

In the coming weeks, additional information about the film will be available at www.michaeljackson.com.

And there you have it folks … less than 2 months after his death, a movie deal has already been struck, OKed and announced. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if this film generates more than $60 million in its opening weekend. Demand for this film is world wide and it will make money, I’m sure of it. I ain’t gonna lie, I am very curious to see this film and David and I will most likely be there to see it on opening weekend. 3D elements? Oh yeah, I’m curious as hell. Mark your calendars, make your plans … the MJ movie is on the way. How many of y’all are planning to be there opening day?

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